Mail delivering and receiving device.



I memmon MAIL DELIVERING ANDBEGEIVING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

975,025. Patented-Nov. s, 1910.

14 4 =545 I I 1.- I.

A TTORNEY UNITE STATES PATENT. UFFIQE.

HAROLD G. EYNON, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOTHOMAS M. EYNON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ONE-THIRD TO ELMERL. IPQWL, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL DELIVERING AND RECEIVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

Application filed May 16, 1910. Serial No. 561,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD Gr. EYNoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have invented a certain newand useful Mail Delivering and Receiving Device, of which the followingis a specification.

The general purpose of my invention is to provide a rotary mail bagcatcher, having protected operating mechanism, which shall be capable ofoperation to receive and catch bags from trains moving in eitherdirection and upon either side of the device.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide for rotation of thecatching arm through any predetermined distance with increasedretardation and without tendency to fly back or return.

A further purpose of my invention is to oppose the rotation of thecatching arms by a frictional retardation increasing with the extent ofrotation and maintaining the device in any position to which the partsare moved when the impetus of the mail bag has been overcome.

The further purpose of my invention is to cause the rotation of the armsof a mail bag catcher to advance or retract a preferably inclosed screwwith the same effect, preferably compression, resultant from eithermovement, upon a compressible or extensible medium, such as a spring,which is also preferably inclosed.

The further purpose of my invention is to mount the arms of a mail bagcatcher upon a screw operating in a frame against a surface preferablyin the form of a friction plate, determining the effect of the frictionupon the surface by means such as a spring, preferably compressedthereagainst, and increasing the friction with movement of the screw ineither direction by the increased bearing of the spring against thesurface, causing the same effect of compression or distention ofspringwith movement of the screw in either direction from its normal position.

lNhile my invention may exist in various forms and types, I havepreferred to illustrate it in the form selected, not only because thelatter is practical in operation and of good mechanical design, butbecause it illustrates the principles involved to great advantage.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a structure embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken upon line mw of Fig. 1, butomitting the base. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the sendingarm. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a plate used in the construction shown.

Similar numerals of reference refer to the same parts in the drawings.

1 designates a standard, preferably of cylindrical form resting upon abase 2 and held down rigidly by any suitable means 3. The standard maybe longitudinally slotted to reduce its weight, if desired, through anypart of its height as at 4. At any suitable point 5, preferably abovethe opening 4, I provide a shelf or support within the standard uponwhich I rest one head 6 of a double headed bolt 7 whose other end 8rests upon a plate 9 closing the lower end of an opening 10 in a screw11 upon whose spindle delivery arms 12 and receiving arms 13 are mountedin any suitable manner. The delivering arms 12 are provided with anysuitable and well known sustaining mechanism 14, for holding the bags inplace so as to be caught by a receiving arm upon the car. I have shown apin which is free to move laterally upon the arm about one leg of astaple. The delivering arms are arranged upon both sides of a verticalplane through the receiving arms so that the bag may be hung upon thatarm, of the two adjoining, which is toward the train, causing the bag soheld to be collected by the train a moment in advance of the contact ofthe bag which is being delivered from the train with the receiving arm13. This is done to avoid too early swinging movement of the arm 12, andhence of the bag carried by it, out of the way of the trainreceiving-arm.

I prefer to place bag-receiving or catching devices upon both sides ofeach end of arm 13 and to place these in duplicate, spacing them alongthe arm in order that two bags may be caught by it at the same time.Each of these eight devices is made up,-in the form shown, of a pair ofbrackets 15 secured to the arm in any suitable manner and so spaced asto reliably receive the bag between them notwithstanding the variationof position of the bag resultant from rocking of the train. Each bracketis provided with a spring arm 16 and these arms approach each other toform a seal for the opening between the brackets, which seal isyieldable toward the arm to allow the bag to pass through in thatdirection only. The arms 16 are extended preferably at an angle to thearms 13, so as to press against the bag 17 and hold it in lace.

The standard 1 is initially bored at 18 to receive a spring 19, restingupon the head 6, and a plate 20. This plate is compressed between thespring upon one side and the plate 9 and sleeve or collar 21 upon theother. The sleeve forms a nut within which the screw 11 is adapted toturn and is itself held within the bore of the standard and againstrotation by any suitable means, such as by cap 22 and bolts 23, 24.

The plate 9 is slotted at 25 to pass laterally over the bolt 7 to placeand is externally threaded at 26 to screw into the lower part of opening10. It is held against rotation therein by any suitable means, as byscrewor pin 27.

I have shown the head 8 as of small enough size to pass through theopening 28 in the plate 20 and the opening in the spring.

The several parts may be assembled within the bore or standard asfollows: The spring 19 is placed upon the head 6 of the bolt 7 and theplate 20 is forced down against the spring at the same time that theplate 9 is moved laterally into place between the plate 20 and the head8 of the bolt. This holds the spring under compression by convenient andreliable means, readily inserted, and does not involve unscrewing orotherwise removing either head of the bolt. Both bolt heads may beintegral with the bolt. The head 8 may then be inserted within theopening 10 in the screw 11 and the plate 9 may be rigidly engaged withthe lower end of said screw 11 as by means of the screw threads 26' andpin or screw 27. The sleeve 21 may then be put upon the upper end of thescrew 11 and screwed down to place and the several parts thus farassembled may be inserted within the bore 18 of the standard with anydesired tightness of fit, after which the cap 22 is placed upon the topof the standard and secured thereto by the bolts 23 and the bolts 24 areinserted.

The arms 13 and 12 willbe placed on last, in this order of assemblage,preferably upon squared shafting, and secured thereon by pins or otherspecial retaining means.

In operation: the suspension of the mail bag in order that it. may becaught by the train'is sufiiciently well known to require no furtherexplanation. In receiving mail bags from the train the bag is caughtwithin the devices 16 and 17 causing immediate rotation of the arm 13and screw 11 with longitudinal travel toward or away from the,

sleeve 21 with consequent compression of the spring by movement of theplate 20, ac-

companied by relative movement of the head 8 longitudinally upwardwithin the opening 10. In this case also there will be the sameresultant frictional resistance against rotation in addition to the workperformed by compressing the spring, and this is true whatever the partsbetween which movement actually takes place. As will be seen,

the relative rotation takes place without sufficient return tendency tocause reversal of the movement of the arms andconsequently without thedangers from this return movement. Since movement of the arms in eitherdirection results in compression of the spring 19 and the screw is ofrelatively slight pitch, the bags have to overcome the initial frictiondetermined by the initial compression of the spring and ever increasingfrictional retardation due to the increasing compression of the spring.They must also accomplish the actual compression of the spring. Not onlyis this true in either direction of rotation but to an equal extent eachway. However, in the resetting operation the frictional retardationbecomes constantly less at the same time that the expansion of thespring, as opposed to its compression, greatly reduces the effortrequired.

I recognize that any elastic or resilient 7 material may be used inplace of the spring with at least a part of the advantage thereof; thatthe extent of the frictional engage ment between relatively rotatableparts or the heating efiect upon any given part may be reduced orincreased to any extent desired under special circumstances, betweenlimits, by change in extent or character of surface, by abrasivematerial, or actual lubrication of the parts to make thecompression ofthe elastic member represent as small or as large a proportion of thework done as possible, as compared with the frictional component. Ifurther recognize that my invention may be used in connection withsingle track operation, using one side and set of arms only for actualdelivery and receipt of the mail or that it may be placed between twosuitably spaced tracks, making use of both sets of arms; and that ineither event it will receive and deliver mail bags from and to trainsgoing in either direction upon the track or either of the tracks. 7

Having thus described my invention what I regard as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a spindle therein, aspring within the standard below the spindle an abutment for the springand means for causing rotation in one direction to move the spindlelongitudinally toward the abutment and rotation in the oppositedirection to move the abutment toward the spindle.

2. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a spindle therein, abag receiving arm upon said spindle, a friction surface upon the lowerend of the spindle, an elastic medium within the standard and below thespindle, a friction plate above said elastic medium and means forcausing the rotation of the arm in either direction to compress theelastic material and cause frictional engagement of the relativelymovable parts.

3. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a compressiblemedium therein, a spindle therein, a bag receiving arm upon the spindle,means for causing rotation of the spindle to compress the medium andfrictional surfaces for engagement during the rotation of the spindle.

4. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a rotatable spindletherein, a bag receiving arm upon the spindle and a spring compressed byrotation of the spindle in either direction and to any extent throughoutthe circumference.

5. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a spindle therein, acompressible medium within the standard and below the spindle, a sleevein the standard and threads upon the spindle engaging within the sleeveto cause compression of the spring with rotation in one direction.

6. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a compressiblemedium therein, a double headed bolt passing through the compressiblemedium, one head of the bolt being free to move within an aperture ofthe lower part of the spindle, a plate closing the aperture below thebolt head and secured to the spindle and a plate between thecompressible medium upon one side and the spindle and the sleeve uponthe other side.

7. In a device of the character stated, a compressible medium, a doubleheaded bolt passing therethrough, a spindle apertured to permit one headof the bolt to pass within it and closed therebeneath, means formingfric tional retardation to relative movement between the spindle andcompressible material with rotation of the spindle in one direction andan abutment against bodily movement of the compressible material withrotation of the spindle in the opposite direction.

8. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a spring and aspindle therein, an abutment for the spring at each end maintaining itunder compression, means for compression of the spring away from the oneabutment with rotation of the spring in one direction and means forcompression of the spring away from the other abutment with rotation ofthe spindle in the opposite direction.

9. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a spring therein, asupport for the one end of the spring, an internally threaded abutmentpreventing movement of the spring in the opposite direction andmaintaining it in compression, a spindle threaded in said abutment andapertured at its lower end, a bolt resting upon the support at one endand passing within the aperture at the other end, a plate closing theend of the aperture about the bolt, a member between the spring and thethreaded abutment and a bag-receiving arm upon the spindle.

10. In a device of the character stated, a spindle, a double headed boltlying partly within an aperture in one end of the spindle, a springlocated upon the bolt and engaging one head thereof, a standardsurrounding the spindle and spring and affording support for the bolt,means for causing advance of the spindle toward the spring to compressthe spring by movement toward the head upon which it bears and means forcausing the recession of the spindle from the spring to compress thelatter through movement of the head of the bolt against which it bears.

11. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a bolt, a springunder compression and surrounding the bolt, a spindle, and means forcausing movement of one end of the spring toward the other with rotationof the spindle in either direction.

12. In a device of the character stated, a standard, a rotatable spindletherein, a spring, an abutment for the spring and means for moving theabutment toward the spindle with rotation of the spindle.

' HAROLD o. EYNON.

Witnesses EUGENE ZIEGLER, WILLIAM STEELL JAoKsoN.

